1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an accessory for an electrical connector, also known as a backshell adapter assembly, and more particularly to a backshell adapter assembly which includes one or more pivotable strain relief arms which can be adjusted between various angles relative to the axis of the backshell adapter assembly to provide radial clamping of a wire bundle to prevent axial forces from damaging the wire termination at the electrical connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Backshell adapter assemblies are generally known in the art. Such backshell adapter assemblies normally provide a transition from a plurality of electrical conductors to an electrical connector. An example of a backshell adapter assembly is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,278, hereby incorporated by reference.
Various types of backshell adapter assemblies are known and configured to provide a relatively wide range of options, depending on the particular application. One such application is strain relief. In particular, backshell adapter assemblies are known which provide a radial clamping force relative to the wire bundle to prevent axial forces from damaging the termination of the wires at the electrical connector. Such known backshell adapter assemblies normally include a mechanical saddle clamp which, in turn, includes a pair of complementary saddle bars, rigidly secured to the backshell adapter assembly by way of extending strain relief arms. Conventional fasteners are used to tighten the saddle bars together to provide a radial clamping force to prevent the cable or wire bundle from moving in an axial direction.
Depending on the application, various configurations of the backshell adapter assemblies with saddle clamps are known in which the angle of the axes of the strain relief arms relative to the axis of the backshell adapter assembly varies. For example, 0xc2x0, 45xc2x0 and 90xc2x0 configurations are all known. In each of these configurations, the backshell adapter assembly includes a pair of extending strain relief arms for connecting the saddle clamps to the backshell adapter assembly, fixed at either 0xc2x0, 45xc2x0 or 90xc2x0 relative to the axis of the backshell adapter assembly. Since the strain relief arms are fixed relative to the backshell adapter assembly, the 0xc2x0, 45xc2x0 and 90xc2x0 backshell adapter assemblies with strain relief must be manufactured as separate products. As such, separate tooling must be provided for each of the various configurations which increases the cost of backshell adapter assemblies with a strain relief function. In addition, the end user must have an accurate count of each of the configurations required before ordering the backshell adapter assemblies. Should a field change be required, additional backshell adapter assemblies may be required to be ordered. As such there is a need to optimize backshell adapter assemblies with various configurations.
Briefly, the present invention relates to a backshell adapter assembly which includes a clamp body and one or more extending strain relief arms, pivotably connected to the clamp body. The strain relief arms are adapted to receive a pair of opposing saddle clamps or a cable tie to provide radial clamping of a wire bundle relative to the backshell adapter assembly to prevent axial movement of the cable in response to axial forces thereupon. The extending strain relief arms are adapted to be rotated between various positions, for example, xe2x88x9290xc2x0 to +90xc2x0. Provisions may be provided for securing the extending arms at various detent positions relative to the axis of the clamp body. As such the need for separate tooling for different configurations is eliminated, thus lowering the cost of the device. In addition, the use of such backshell adapter assemblies is greatly simplified.